Pandora’s POV

„Care if I join you?” Out of nowhere Belial appeared breathing in Teak’s ear. He’s still alive? Bloody hell, why can’t the super evil ones just stay dead for an instance? Tempest’s eyes went wide as she stared at me. Out of everyone in this fine establishment, it had to be the demon who got on my nerves even more than Gates did, which was surprising, knowing the bastard tortured my sanity for over a century.

„I see you’re still alive and kicking,” I stopped dancing in an instant as I pulled Tempest out of his hands and moved her behind my back as if shielding her from this monstrosity. Actually, in his human form he looked kinda nice with those blue eyes and dark hair. A typical prince from a fairy tale. „We can easily change that.”

„Ah, Pandora...” His lips curled up in an unnatural grin. „The one commander who couldn’t be saved from the devil even with the help of eighty of his infernal legions. How have you been? I hope the incarceration hadn’t had a too great of an impact on your common sense and you’ll know when's the time to fuck off.” His voice became menacing and his eyes sparked up. Was he really threatening me? I didn’t need an army to wipe him against the nearest wall.

My eyes squinted and arms folded over my chest as I kept glaring at the bastard. I tilted my head to the side, before I spoke, „You done?” With a heavy sigh I turned around to look back at Tempest, „You see this moron, love?” She nodded, tho a frown was mirroring on her face. „You heard how he talked to me?” She nodded and before I could continue, I heard him going for a hit, but before he could actually manage to as much as touch me, he was on his knees and I intended for him to stay that way by holding him by his hair. „Never... ever... let anyone talk to you like this.”

„Pandora.” Gates voice rumbled somewhere behind me. Oh for the love of – can’t a girl have at least a little bit of fun? Belial tried getting up, but I pushed him down again. „Let him go.”

I took a deep breath, trying my best to fight my own hand letting go of his nape. I can’t believe he made me do it. Belial just walked free. I was too furious to think straight, so I just turned to walk back to the counter where Shads was sitting, sipping on his gintonic. „So... an angel and a demon walks into a bar...” He laughed in his drink.

I flunked down on the high bar stool and motioned for Johnny to pour me something. Anything. Possibly everything and mixed altogether. Finally I sighed, feeling my anger deflating. „Even after all that time...” I shook my head.

„Join the club,” He clinked his glass to mine.

„You’re not bound to him.” I shotgunned the drink and placed the glass on the counter with a thud, Johnny filling it up instantly. I nodded, thanking the guy. He actually was pretty okay for a fallen, knew when and how I liked my drinks.

„It’s even worse,” He smirked, looking straight ahead, over all the shelves of bottles, „I have my free will, but I still serve him.”

„Why do you do that exactly?” I rested my forearm on the counter as I turned to look at him. If you ask me, that’s the most idiotic thing anyone could actually do.

„Call it a temporary insanity,” He looked at me with a smile. Temporary... He’s served him since his first day here on Earth. Gates wouldn’t simply kill him if he decided this lifestyle per say wasn’t for him anymore... right? Please tell me the guy wasn’t actually as evil as everyone painted him to be. „So... any luck with the grimoire?”

I nearly choked on my drink. My eyebrow raised looking upon him. „Meaning?”

„Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure you guys lost it...” He chuckled, emptying his glass. Holy Hell, the word did in fact travel fast around here. But... how did he know? Was he the one to find it? Oh right, the used to be angel of wisdom. How could I forget that.

„So, I assume you know who has it...” I suggested. He had my full attention. Speak, goddammit, speak! It’s worth a lot of money.

He graced me with a mischievous smirk. „Maybe I do – maybe I don’t.”

„Don’t fucking play games with me...” I hissed in warning. We both know he knew who had it.

„If you want to find it, you should talk to the Priest.” He said as he turned his back against the bar and watched over the dancing crowd. I mirrored his action and right at that moment I realized I had left Teak with Gates. Ups? My bad? But it seemed she was having the time of her life. Typical. Nobody’s bored with the devil.

„Astaroth?” I questioned. There was no chance in Hell, the fallen who was educating on God, wanted to deal with Devil’s cook book. Everything infernal was against his policy. „What would I possibly want from him?”

„He could help you get back in Hell.” He sneered. Excuse me? Was he also willing to feel some exruciating pain? Nobody fucking sends me to Hell and lives to tell about it.

„You’re threading on thin ice, Shads...” I raised my own glass to my lips.

„Relax,” He waved me off, „Lilith hid the grimoire in Hell.”

„What...” I could barely squeek. The thought of me going back there to go on a search party for something valued at 30k, didn’t seem so cruical anymore. If it’s there – let it stay there. I could honestly go on with my life without those magical thirty grand. I’m honestly good here.

„Yeah,” He mumbled. „She stumbled upon it and realized Gates would never return to Hell, so she put it there. Why on earth does she need a book nobody can actually read is beyond me.”

„Nobody?” My eyebrows shot up. Gates was the devil – he spoke every fucking language, he could in fact read anything. Or maybe he couldn’t? Yeah, knowing him, he probably was too lazy to actually learn to read in foreign languages, but then again – it was his grimoire.

„Fine, Gates probably can read it. They wrote it up in the Silver City as far as I know.”

„So correct me if I’m wrong, but now you say ‘fetch’ and I actually have to fetch?” I turned back to look at all those dancing bodies, glaring at no one in particular. „That’s real nice, Shads.”

„No. But Gates will eventually ask for you to retrieve it, so I’m giving you a choice. You can remain with your dignity and go there before he has spoken to you about it or you can bend to his will.” A choice? What choice was there for me if we all knew – when (and it was bound to happen) Gates asks for me to go down there, I won’t be able to refuse, so there’s actually no choice. Choice was an illusion.

„Why are you helping me?” I asked, genuinely curious.

„’Cause I don’t want to live to see another war between angels and demons.” Oh so this brute wasn’t a blood craving maniac like his boss? Surprising. I emptied my glass, putting it aside on the counter. I still remembered the last war, the war which Gates started out of vengeance. I nearly seized to exist when the heavenly light shone upon me. Demons couldn’t enter Heaven, and he knew that, but did that stop him sending me on a suicide mission? Of course fucking not. Instead he locked me away right after I regained my consciousness.

„Now you’re being a tad dramatic...” I scoffed, waving him off.

„Look. Those markings on her back,” He pointed towards Tempest who was just taking off the leather jacket, revealing the cut out on the shirt, which showed off some impressive marks on her skin. „I’ll be damned if that ain’t the Leviathan Cross in the very middle.”

Well I’ll be damned... „So... You think the grimoire is somehow connected with this clueless chipmunk... That’s insane, Shads... even for you.” Although I couldn’t deny there was in fact the devil’s cross on her back. Why tho?

„Find the book. Give it to her. I assure you she’ll be able to read it.” He said simply. It seemed he knew a lot more than he was telling me.

„To find the book, I have to actually start looking for it...” Only the thought made me want to vomit out all my intestines. Yeah... I mean who wasn’t up for a vocation in those tempting nine circles of Hell? Fucking nobody.

„Take the angel with you.” Whaaat? Now... now that cracked me up. This fallen had clearly reached the good age of dementia. „Think of it as a school trip.”

A confused laugh tore it’s way out of my insides.

„Or... You can leave her with Gates.” He added over my vocal interpretation of disbelief. That shut me up momentarily. To leave an angel with the devil, maybe if I was under some angel dust, but... no, not even then.

„Not a chance in Hell!” I exclaimed, angrily glaring at him.

„Well then.” He said simply, setting his glass on the counter as he pulled out his pack of Marlboro. „Have a nice trip Dora the explorer.”

And just like that, he left me there. All alone. Thinking about Hell. Me and luck should’ve been some passionate lovers for me to live another stroll through the infernal fire. And they still didn’t have an elevator, neither did they have an AC unit. Gates was such a cheepscake. Couldn’t he invest a little something so at least the lobby looked a little less... hell-ish?

Out of nowhere Tempest appeared in my face with a radiant smile pulling at her lips. Her cheeks were pink and seemed like she had outlived a steamy make-out session with the devil and was ready to spill all the details about it. I really hoped that wasn’t the case here.

„I don’t know what just happened... but I feel so good, Pandora!” She said and I contorted my face in disgust, just thinking about Gates and her made me vomit a bit in my mouth. „I feel... I feel like I can do anything right now!”

„Well, that’s... great.” I turned back to the counter and spoke right as Johnny’s eyes had landed on me, „just give me the whole bottle, John.”

The bottle of Jack Daniels landed on the counter. „You’re paying tonight?”

I threw my head back laughing. Sure. That’s a funny joke, dude. „Gates owns your ass, I’m not paying shit.”

I took the bottle and turned back to face Teek. „I was wondering... Maybe I can—„

„No.” I cut her off and decided the wisest thing right then and there was trying to poison myself with inappropriate amounts of hard liquor. Maybe that would erase the view of her falling victim to Gates charms out of my mind. The fact that I hadn’t seen it in action was even worse, my imagination painted a really sick picture in my head.

„But- but he promised—„

„I told you – don’t accept anything he offers you – himself included.” I spoke after I had taken a few big gulps of the amber drink.

And speaking of the devil – Syn showed up, smiling down on Teek who was now pouting at me. Yeah, whatever keeps you away from him is fine by me. You do you, boo. „So, we’re ready to go?”

„I... can’t.” Tempest fixed her eyes on her shoes. Okay, breathe, Pandora, breathe.

„Of course you can,” He placed his hand on her back, seemingly comforting her. Well... that’s a first. His browns narrowed on me, „Pandora, be a dear and tell her she can go with me.”

I closed my eyes as I took a sharp breath. No. I will not. You’re nothing to me. Fuck. „Y-you... can go.”I hissed through bitten teeth right before I tried to rinse away the feeling of weakness.

„I... can?” Tempest raised her head. I avoided to look at her. This was sickening. I didn’t say anything – just kept looking at the bottle of Patron on the shelf. „Yay! Thanks Pandora!” She hugged me from behind and I couldn’t bare but relax as soon as I felt her touch.

The worst feeling was the realization that not even your own body is yours. When I thought they had already left and I was ready to murder a couple of demons rambling around the place, I heard Gate’s whisper in my ear.

„You still belong to me.”

Notes